Mulberry Man Accused Of Sexual Assault, Incest

A Mulberry man accused of molesting a female relative has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of incest in Crawford County Circuit Court.

A Mulberry man accused of molesting a female relative has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of incest in Crawford County Circuit Court.

Gary Wayne Morse Jr., 36, is represented by attorney Joseph Self, who entered a not-guilty plea on Morse’s behalf ahead of his scheduled Wednesday arraignment. Morse is free on a $10,000 bond.

A relative of Morse’s accuser set up a webcam where Morse and the girl slept, after she found a letter from Morse to the girl that suggested an inappropriate relationship, she told an Arkansas State Police investigator.

The webcam picked up video of Morse and the girl engaged in sexual acts and of Morse taking nude photos of the girl, which the relative provided to investigators, according to an ASP report.

The girl, who is now an adult, initially told investigators she didn’t see herself as a victim before speaking to them again about two weeks later, and told them the sex with Morse wasn’t forcible, but Morse had manipulated her, according to the report.

Morse initially spoke to investigators and denied an inappropriate relationship with the girl, but asked for an attorney when they showed him video recorded by the webcam.

First-degree sexual assault is a Class A felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison. Incest is a Class C felony punishable by up to six years in prison.